Conveyer



May 24, 1949. V, A RAYBURN 2,471,347

CONVEYER Filed DeQ. 21, 1945 ATTORNEY Patented May 24, 1949 CONVEYER Vincent A. Rayburn, Baltimore, Md., assignor to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application December 21, 1945, Serial No. 636,401

2 Claims. 1 This invention relates to conveyers, and has `for its object the provision of new and improved conveyers.

A conveyer forming one embodiment of the invention comprises an article-carrying element,

means for moving Athe article-carrying element, means for locking the article-carrying element in a predetermined position with respect to the moving means, and means for changing the position `of the article-carrying element with respect to the moving means.

A complete understanding of the invention may be obtained from the `following detailed description of a conveyer forming a. specific embodiment thereof, when read in `conjunction with the ap- Fig. 7 is a vertical section taken along line 'I-l of Fig. 1.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, there is shown `therein a hook assembly IIJ (Fig. l), which includes a hook II secured to a. sleeve I2 mounted slidably and rotatably upon a shaft I5. A horn I3 lis formed on the hook II, and a catch M is fastened to the horn near the inner end thereof. The sleeve is supported upon the shaft by a two-lobe cylindrical cam I6 secured upon the lower end of the shaft, as viewed in Fig. 1. The cam I6 (Fig. 3) has formed thereon diametrically opposed lobes I1 and I8, and also is provided with diametrically opposed depressions I9 and 20, which are spaced 90 from the lobes I`| and I8.

A two-lobe cylindrical cam 2| formed on the lower end of the sleeve I2, as viewed in Fig. 1, is complementary to the cam I6 and includes lobes ,22 and 23 (Fig. 4) and depressions 24 and 25. The cams I6 and 2l are self-meshing and the cam 2 I is moved by gravity into mesh with the cam I6 whenever it has been moved out of mesh therewith and the sleeve I2 is free to rotate relative to the shaft I5. The cam 2| meshes with the cam I6 when the cam 2| is in either of two positions (Cl. ISS- 177) A spaced 180 apart, and when it is rotated over 90 fromone of these positions, it will automatically fall into the other position in which it is designed to mesh with the cam I6. Thus, the horn I3 of the hook II normally points in one of two directions spaced 180 apart.

A clevis 26 (Fig. 5) lfastened rigidly to the upper end of the shaft I5 is secured by a pivot pin 3| to a tang 32 secured rigidly to a conveyor chain 35. The chain is supported in a position between tracks 31-31 by supporting rollers 40-46 and 'may be advanced along the tracks by suitable advancing means (not shown). The clevis and the tang permit `the shaft I5 to remain plumb regardless of theY inclination of the tracks but prevent rotation of the shaft about its own axis. A counter-balance 39 (Fig. 1) is secured to the sleeve I2 and maintains the hook II, when the hook is empty, in a position in which the horn I3 thereof is horizontal. When the cam 2| is in `mesh with the cam I6, the horn points either in Vthe direction the chain 35 (Fig. 5) advances the hook assembly I0 or in a direction opposite thereto.

A four-tooth pinion 4| (Figs. 1 and 2) formed on the upper end of the sleeve I2 has formed therein a counterbore 42, which is designed to pro vide clearance forthe clevis 26 when the sleeve I2 is slid upwardly on the shaft I5, as viewed in Fig. 1. Thepinion 4I is `provided with teeth 45, 46, "and 48 (Figs. 2 and 6). A rack 50 (Figs. 4 and 6) is positioned below one of the tracks 3`|-31 and includes rack pins 5I and 52, which are spaced a predetermined distance apart and vproject #from a base 55 of the rack. The pinion is so orientated with respect to the cams I6 and 2| `that when the cams I6 and 2| intermesh, either the tooth'4'l or the tooth 45 projects downwardly and Aslightly to the right, as viewed in Fig. 6.

In the operation of the conveyer described hereinabove, the chain 35 (Fig. 5) serves to move the hook assembly |0 toward the right, as viewed in Fig. Il. When the hook .assembly is in a posi` tion similar to that designated position A, the hook H is in a position in which the picking up of a spool 56 is facilitated. The spool may be placed in the path of the horn I6 of the hook, and, as the hook is advanced toward the spool, the horn enters a hole 51 therein and carries the spool therewith. The catch I 4 serves to prevent the spool from sliding ofi' the horn and holds it in a position in which the center of gravity of the spool is aligned with the axis of the shaft I5.

As the hook assembly I0 is moved from position A to a position designated position B, the rackl pin 5I is engaged by the toothTI of the pinion 4I and tends to retard the movement of the tooth 41, and as the hook assembly continues to advance relative to the rack 50, the pinion is rotated in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 6. This also rotates the hook assembly I (Fig. 4) to position B, and as the hook assembly is so rotated, the lobes 22 and 23 of the cam 2| are moved out of engagement with the depressions I9 and 20 (Fig. 3), respectively, of the cam IS, and into engagement with and slightly over dead center with respect to the lobes I8 and I1, respectively, of the cam I6.

As the hook assembly I0 is rotated to position B, the sleeve S2 is rotated and slides upwardly upon the shaft I5, as viewe'd in Fig. 4, as the lobes 22 and 23 move into engagement with the lobes I8 and Il. The tooth 41 slides upwardly on the rack pin l, which is long enough that the tooth 41 does not slide over the end thereof.

Since the tooth Il is directed slightly forwardly as it approaches the rack pin 5I, the rack pin 5I moves the pinion il through an angle of at least 90 while the tooth 41 is in engagement therewith. As the pinion is so rotated, the tooth 48 is moved to a position between the rack pins 5I and 52 and is engaged by the rack pin 52, which rotates the pinion further, whereby the lobes 22 and 23 of the cam 2l are moved out of dead center with respect to the lobes i8 and I1 of the cam I6. The lobes v22 and 23 then are forced by gravity downwardly, as viewed in Fig. 4, away from the lobes I8 and I'I, and the sleeve I2 is rotated upon the shaft I5. The tooth 48 of the pinion strikes the yrack pin 5I as it is so rotated, whereby the rotation of the hook assembly I2 is slowed down. The chain 35 continues to advance and moves the tooth 43 out of engagement with the rack pin 5I. The hook assembly then continues to rotate by the interaction of the cams I6 and 2| until the cams intermesh, at which time the horn I3 points in a direction opposite to that in which the hook assembly is advanced.

When the hook I I is in position C or a position similar thereto, the spool 56 may be removed therefrom merely by lifting the spool so that it clears the catch I4 and retarding the spool relative to the horn i3. After the spool 56 has been removed from the hook ll, another turner (not shown) identical with the turner 50 may be used to turn the hook assembly I0, 180 so that it is in a position similar to position A so that a spool similar to the spool 56 may be loaded thereon.

The above-described conveyer serves to convey hook assemblies similar to the hook assembly I0 along the tracks 31-31 in orientated positions with respect to the chain 35 (Fig. 5). The selfmeshing cams II5 and 2l (Fig. 4) serve to lock the hook assembly either in a position in which the horn I3 of the hook II points in the direction in which it is advanced, or in a position in which the horn points in a direction opposite to that in which it is advanced, so that the hook assembly cannot be accidentally turned to the Wrong position. However, the hook may be turned surely and effectively by the turner 50. Thus, the horn I3 of the hook Il, dependingr upon its position relative to the tracks 31-31, is orientated suitably for picking up spools similar to the spool 56, or for depositing such spools.

What is claimed is:

l. A conveyer, which comprises a conveyer chain, means for guiding the chain along a predetermined path, a shaft depending from the chain, means for holding .the shaft against rotation about its longitudinal axis, a sleeve mounted rotatably and slidably upon the shaft, a hook supported by the sleeve, and a pair of self-meshing cylindrical cams having no dwell portions and having two positions of rest, one of the cams being secured to the shaft and the other cam being secured to the sleeve.

2. A conveyer, Awhich comprises a conveyer chain, means for guiding the chain along a predetermined path, a shaft pivotally secured to the conveyer chain, hook, a sleeve rotatably and slidably mounted on the shaft for supporting the hook, a cylindrical cam having a pair of diametrically opposed lobes formed thereon and positioned on the bottom of the rod for securing the sleeve upon the rod, said cylindrical cam also being provided with depressions positioned between the lobes, a second cylindrical cam secured to the` sleeve for intermeshing with the first-mentioned cylindrical cam to lock the sleeve in either of two positions spaced apart, said cams having no dwell portions so that said second cylindrical cam falls automatically into mesh with the first-mentioned cylindrical cam if it is moved out of intermeshing engagement therewith, a four-lobe pinion secured to the sleeve, and a rack positioned in the path of the pinion for rotating the pinion to rotate the sleeve and move the second cam out of interrneshing engagement with the first-mentioned cam.

VINCENT A. RAYBURN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 994,524 Kohlhepp June 6, 1911 1,025,527 Hunt May 7, 1912 1,725,264 Garnett Aug. 20, 1929 1,975,196 DeVout Oct. 2, 1934 2,344,476 Turnbull Mar. 14, 1944 

